Drophead Coupe makes waves in Detroit
CAR Online brought you the first pictures of the new open-top Phantom and exclusive video footage last month, but this £260,000 monster still stole the Detroit show when Rolls-Royce chairman Ian Robertson officially unveiled it in what will be by far its biggest market. The 100EX concept on which the production car is based stole the 2004 Geneva show too, and features which we all thought would only be seen on the concept, such as the teak ‘decking’ on the hood cover and the rear-hinged suicide doors, have made it to the finished car. Production starts at Goodwood this summer. Robertson used the launch to announce that Rolls-Royce sold a record 805 Phantoms last year; still short of the 1000 car per year target set when the brand relaunched in 2003, but the numbers are increasing with long-wheelbase derivatives and this rag-top can only help swell production further.